Kovalev

I am very disheartened that Kovalev is back. When he is in this lineup he slows everything down. Anyone who plays with him autumatically looks off his game.

Please trade the bum already, for the love of god.  I can't wait till he's gone from this team.

It's a shame that a player that has been working their ass off will be coming out of the lineup for this floating piece of garbage.  Whether it be Shannon, Butler, Smith, or Ruutu they all deserve to play more than that Kovalev.  In fact, the only reason to play a player as horrible as Alexei Kovalev is because you desperately want to create value for him going into the trade deadline.  It's all very sad in reality.

And yes, that's how I really feel.

Firewagon Hockey On Long Island

That certainly wasn't a defensive battle!  While this was a very highly entertaining game to watch, it changes nothing going forward.

I thought Lehner was pretty good overall.  Some of those goals he had no chance on, and the Isles got lucky.  It's nice having a goalie with that kind of size in net.  I also like his confidence level and intelligence for such a young kid.

I don't know what's gotten into Winchester lately, but if he keeps that up he has no worries about job security.  Last game playing tough, this game an offensive force.

Where was Mike Fisher?  He picked up an assist in the first 30 seconds, and then dissappeared as far as i'm concerned.

We all know there's been alot of talk about Pierre McGuire and whether he is a candidate for Ottawa's GM position.  It was kind of interesting analyzing what he was saying tonight on the TSN broadcast.  I thought he was actually pretty balanced in his comments toward Ottawa.  Sure, he had some nice things to say about our guys, but they were doing pretty damn well at the time.  He also had some negative things to say.  But as someonelse mentioned, he was just telling it like it was.

Calgary tomorrow, that should be an interesting game.  I almost wish Lehner would get another start, but that might be asking alot from a 19 year old rookie.

Lame Duck

Who the do I blame for my favorite NHL team having a lame-duck GM going into the most important trade deadline/offseason in over 10 years?

We won't be able to hire anyone worth a damn until the offseason. No team is going to give us permission to scalp their personel mid-season.

Bryan Murray is a punchline to a very bad joke. He has no ability to make a deal at the NHL level, this has been proven as fact.  He can't assess pro talent. He wouldn't know a good free agent if he walked up to him, hit him over his head, and pissed gold all over him. He's a 68 year old glorified scout, and a has-been coach to boot.  That's right, the man leading our rebuild is almost 70 YEARS OLD!  Christ, there are numerous rumors that he will just retire after this season.

To top it all off, there is a very good possibility that he is WAY to close to these player to do what is needed.  He coached alot of these players to a Stanley Cup finals.  For example, can he really bite the bullet and get Mike Fisher to waive his no trade clause?  Will he trade "Sen For Life" Chris Phillips?  I'll tell you what... I'll believe it when I see it.

What an absolute joke. Who in this organization is going to stand up and say "Blame me, I'm to blame, and this is how I'm going to fix it"?  Murray?  Leeder (ya, right)?  Melnyk?

End of fucking rant. I feel better now, bed time.

Jared Cowen

Jared Cowen was ok in the WJC, his play is incredibly bland at times, but maybe that's just his style. He was purely a defensive dman, and used almost entirely in a shutdown role. He didn't show much in the way of being a physical force as far as bodychecking goes, and had zero offensive game. However, he was solid positionally, had a very active stick, and should improved mobility. Ottawa can use a dman like him, and hopefully he'll keep developing some weak spots in his game.

Also, not sound like I'm picking on the guy or anything, but how he got one of the three best players over Ryan Johansson is beyond me. They must have just picked the captain and assistants by default.

Pierre McGuire

Rumors have been swirling regarding whether TSN analyst Pierre McGuire could be in line to be named the next GM of the Ottawa Senators.

McGuire's resume includes:

- Two Stanley Cups as a scout and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
- Hartford Whalers assistant coach
- Hartford Whalers assistant general manager.
- Head coach of Hartford in 1993, leading the team to a 23-37-7 record.
- From 1994 to 1996, he was a pro scout and assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators.

This whole situation reminds me alot of when John Davidson was hired by the St. Louis Blues in 2006.  Davidson was a colour analyst for MSG, and was hired as President of Hockey Operations by the Blues.  He had no prior NHL executive experience prior to accepting this job.

This sure would be a 'ballsy' move by the Ottawa Senators organization, but quite frankly, I think we could benefit from 'ballsy' right about now.  What Pierre McGuire might lack in recent experience, he obviously more than makes up for with energy, charisma and intelligence.

He has a wealth of connections in the hockey world, including legend Scotty Bowman.  He has a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of NHL prospects.  Also, with his personality and charisma would seem to have a much better chance of attracting potential free agents to Ottawa (something that has been a problem in the past).

It's just a wild rumour for now, but sign me up to the Pierre McGuire bandwagon.  I'm tired of, and done with Bryan Murray.... he's lost my trust that he is capable of doing what's right for this franchise.  This is a very important moment in this club's history.  It needs to think outside the box, and Pierre McGuire is exact that.

Love it, or hate it, but that's the truth.

Note:  GM Bryan Murray will address the media Wednesday in an 'informal' press conference.  There is no indication as to the subject matter, although he will be just returning from the WJC in Buffalo.

Bryan Murray Under Fire

After the absolute disaster that was a 5-1 loss at home to archrival Toronto, there is alot of talk about whether a major shakeup could be afoot in Sensland.

Will Corey Clouston be fired?  Will Bryan Murray step down?  Does Ottawa even have the front office hockey minds in place to make this decision?

If I was a young promising coach (ala Kirk Muller), I would have a hard time accepting a coaching job in Ottawa for the remainder of this season.  Our top player is out, the team is full of inconsistent (not to mention Kovalev and Kuba) veterans, and we will be in selling mode soon enough.  That is hardly a recipe for success that would be inticing for anyone.

There's a part of me that feels a change would be a knee jerk reaction to a very bad game.  Lets be honest, the Senators have been pretty bad all year.  Last night's game was just a continuation of this bad play.  However, if changes are going to be made, it's becoming clear that it's Bryan Murray that should be the one to fall on his sword. 

The #1 priority should be to identify the next GM that will be able to lead us out of this mess.

Battle of Ontario

It's another installment of "The Battle of Ontario" as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Scotiabank Place, in a battle of two teams in desperate need of a win.

Toronto is 3-7 in their last team games, while Ottawa is still looking for their first win since Kris Letang's brutal hit from behind put Jason Spezza out of the lineup.  This game was supposed to be a nationally televised game on CBC.  But with the Outdoor Classic being moved to an 8pm EST start time, it looks like the Sens/Leafs will only be shown in their home markets.

Jarkko Ruutu is expected to be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game, meaning Jim O'Brien will get a chance to build on his strong (although in limited ice-time) debut.  Filip Kuba draws back into the lineup, once again at the expense of poor Brian Lee.

Puck drops at 7pm EST. 

Go Sens Go!